The Western Australia Resource Company
To identify optimum strategies for contact management utilising rapid PCR screening test
On the 31st of December 2019, cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were reported in the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. The disease was subsequently named Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and the causative agent was named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in early January 2020.
The SARS-CoV2 is a positive sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family, Coronavirinae subfamily, betacoronavirus genus and is structurally similar to original Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) using the same angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor. ACE2 is found on ciliated bronchial epithelial cells and alveoli epithelia. Currently transmission is understood to be from person to person via droplets spread through coughing and sneezing, these droplets may land of surfaces which become other potential sources of infection. The most common symptoms resulting from infection with SARS-CoV2 are fever (88.7%), cough (57.6%) and shortness of breath (45.6%) with at least 20% of symptomatic cases requiring supportive medical care.
The infection may not be confined to the respiratory tract. The burden of severe disease is in the elderly (>70 years of age) and the overall average mortality rate of patients with symptoms has been reported to be 3.4%, dying of severe pneumonia. Co-morbidities include hypertension and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and pulmonary disease. At present there is no specific treatment for this disease available although several trials of potential vaccines and treatments are ongoing. However, it has been reported that up to 86% of infected people may be asymptomatic. Furthermore, it has been predicted through modelling that 55% of those displaying symptoms may have been infected from these asymptomatic people carrying the infection. Travel of symptomatic and perhaps more importantly, asymptomatic infected people, represents a major mechanism for the spread of the disease. Understanding the transmissibility is of crucial importance for predicting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar future pandemics. It was also suggested that viral testing should be used to determine trajectory of pandemic and to determine quarantine strategies.
Western Australia is heavily dependent on the mining /resource sector for its economy. Due to the vast area of Western Australia and remoteness of many of its mine sites, this sector employs a “fly in fly out (FIFO)” workforce. The majority of this FIFO workforce live in Perth and fly out for typically two weeks of work on site and fly back to Perth for typically two weeks. This constant travel of workers from Perth to these remote sites and back again may represent a risk to the containment of COVID-19 in Western Australia. This proposed study will address issues related to the spread of SARS-CoV2 via FIFO workers in Western Australia.
The SARS-CoV2 is a positive sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family, Coronavirinae subfamily, betacoronavirus genus and is structurally similar to original Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) using the same angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor. ACE2 is found on ciliated bronchial epithelial cells and alveoli epithelia. Currently transmission is understood to be from person to person via droplets spread through coughing and sneezing, these droplets may land of surfaces which become other potential sources of infection. The most common symptoms resulting from infection with SARS-CoV2 are fever (88.7%), cough (57.6%) and shortness of breath (45.6%) with at least 20% of symptomatic cases requiring supportive medical care.
The infection may not be confined to the respiratory tract. The burden of severe disease is in the elderly (>70 years of age) and the overall average mortality rate of patients with symptoms has been reported to be 3.4%, dying of severe pneumonia. Co-morbidities include hypertension and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and pulmonary disease. At present there is no specific treatment for this disease available although several trials of potential vaccines and treatments are ongoing. However, it has been reported that up to 86% of infected people may be asymptomatic. Furthermore, it has been predicted through modelling that 55% of those displaying symptoms may have been infected from these asymptomatic people carrying the infection. Travel of symptomatic and perhaps more importantly, asymptomatic infected people, represents a major mechanism for the spread of the disease. Understanding the transmissibility is of crucial importance for predicting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar future pandemics. It was also suggested that viral testing should be used to determine trajectory of pandemic and to determine quarantine strategies.
Western Australia is heavily dependent on the mining /resource sector for its economy. Due to the vast area of Western Australia and remoteness of many of its mine sites, this sector employs a “fly in fly out (FIFO)” workforce. The majority of this FIFO workforce live in Perth and fly out for typically two weeks of work on site and fly back to Perth for typically two weeks. This constant travel of workers from Perth to these remote sites and back again may represent a risk to the containment of COVID-19 in Western Australia. This proposed study will address issues related to the spread of SARS-CoV2 via FIFO workers in Western Australia.